This year has provided a very different fall than we are used to here at Klamath Outdoor Science School. We have many successes to share, but it might be more important for us to shed some light on our recent hardships. Despite being a small non-profit organization, both the government shutdown and the aftereffects of federal program cuts and tariffs have impacted us directly.
Below you will read about our successes with fall field trips, an 8th grade overnight program, an extremely generous donation, some Halloween outreach, and a staff spotlight. You will also read about our hardships with our state’s perilous Outdoor School budget and how we persisted - despite a government shutdown preventing us from using our most favored field trip location.
Budget Cuts Hit Hard
First, in anticipation of a reduced overall state budget, Oregon legislators decided to reduce the Outdoor School budget by 20% for 2026 & 2027. This came as quite a shock, and has impacted us more dramatically than expected. Many schools had to make tough choices after being given budget restrictions.
Some moved their fall Outdoor School programs to the spring, some reduced program length, some eliminated overnights, and some simply chose to forego Outdoor School altogether. The net result for us directly is quite simple: fewer Outdoor School programs next spring.
The 20% cut has been hard, but additional budget cuts threaten our future. To prevent this from happening we are reaching out to legislators and explaining how we’ve already been impacted. If you are a teacher, administrator, or if you have an Outdoor School eligible 5th or 6th grader that has been impacted by the existing 20% cuts, we encourage you to email Friends of Outdoor School outlining how the funding cut is affecting you and/or your students.
Fall Field Trip Fiascoes and Feats
Our fall field-trip season, which would typically see us bringing many students to the Wildlife Refuge in Tulelake, suffered a complete shakeup due to the government shutdown. After Oct 1st, our friends at US Fish and Wildlife were forced to close their doors to us and all visitors, and we had to find alternate locations for our field trips. This was a challenge, as the Wildlife Refuge is a favored location for students and teachers alike. Some teachers opted to reschedule to the spring, but Education Manager Mikaela was able to come up with suitable alternate locations for the remainder of our field trips. Some went to Moore Park, some went to Hagelstein Park, and some went to the KOSS Campus.
Thankfully, our field trips scheduled for Lava Beds National Park did not have to be canceled, only modified. The Lava Beds is one of many national parks that endured a “soft closing”, where the park was open, but facilities such as the visitor center were unavailable, and rangers and interpretive guides were not on site.
Despite field trip hiccups, it was still a successful season. This fall we served over 400 students, more than half of which were 8th grade or older. This is a demographic we have seldom done programs for in the past, but will consider more often in the future – KOSS staff was consistently impressed with both their high level of engagement and respect.
Students proudly present their metamorphic “rocks”. This lesson, passed on from former KOSS staff member and current KCSD teacher, Marlena McPherson, allows students to explore the rock cycle by applying heat and pressure to soft candies. It culminates with the melting of their rocks, which then cool to give birth igneous rocks.
Teaching about forestry is one of our passions, as the Oregon Department of Forestry generously permits our use of a small piece of Sun Pass State Forest. Students use the properties of right triangles and circles to determine the height, circumference, and diameter of the conifers around camp.
8th Grade Fall Outdoor School
Speaking of working with older students, we were able to bring an 8th grade group to camp for a fall Outdoor School experience. For Bend International Charter School, 8th grade is the final year before students head off to different high schools across the district. While state-funded outdoor school is reserved for 5th & 6th graders, Bend International was willing to go above and beyond this for their students to provide something special and celebrate their years of successes. We considered ourselves lucky to host this group of truly amazing 8th graders at our campus for a few days. We were so glad they were able to come explore our campus, learn with us, and even get a little goofy around the campfire!
Fall overnight camps are a truly special experience at Sun Pass State Forest, and this one was no exception. With perfect weather, a brand new stargazing lesson, exact scale earth model, and a revised orienteering course, we were proud of the curriculum we were able to develop specifically for this group.
We always try to give campers the opportunity to perform a talent or skit at the end of camp. One of the campers was happy to play some acoustic Metallica for the group. Camp Director and metal enthusiast Kevin even tried singing along!
A Generous Scholarship Donation
One highlight of this fall was an overwhelmingly generous contribution to our scholarship fund from The Assistance League of Klamath Basin (ALKB) that will allow dozens of students to participate in our programs.
Klamath Outdoor Science School is extremely grateful for the financial support of the Assistance League of Klamath Basin. We firmly believe that the lives of ALL youth in our community are enriched by learning opportunities outdoors, but the unfortunate truth is that not all families have the means to make that a reality. With generous scholarship contributions like this, we can continue to offer outdoor education opportunities to all youth in our community.
By investing in these scholarships, ALKB’s support will help ensure more local students—particularly those who are at-risk, experiencing homelessness, or in foster care—have the opportunity to participate in the Klamath Outdoor Science School experience.
This support will help break barriers to participation for students who might otherwise be unable to attend, allowing them to engage in outdoor learning that builds confidence, teamwork, and an appreciation for nature.
By investing in these scholarships, the ALKB advances its mission of transforming the lives of children and adults through community-based programs.
While we are grateful for the ALKB, they would like to extend their sincere gratitude to their many supporters who help make a difference in the lives of local youth—empowering them to reach their full potential through education and exploration.
Halloween Hi-jinks
KOSS was excited to be invited to host a "trunk" at the annual Trunk-or-Treat at the fairgrounds this year. Our first time at this event, we were able to hand out not only candy, but hundreds of locally grown apples to the overwhelming number of families in attendance, all while presenting our theme of "Bare Bones", (a small collection of mammal skulls one might find in Oregon's forests).
Staff Spotlights!
We like to acknowledge how hard working and energetic our instructors are. We will spotlight one of them today, but we’ll try to give everyone the opportunity in the future, as ALL of our staff members are amazing individuals!
Megan Malarcher
Today we feature Megan Malarcher! Megan joined KOSS in early 2023. While she isn’t available every season, she was this fall, and we were extremely grateful for her help. We caught up with Megan recently to ask her a few questions.
What do you enjoy most about working at KOSS?
What I enjoy most is the collective passion we share. It’s powerful to be surrounded by colleagues who are genuinely dedicated to environmental stewardship and who see the planet's inherent value. More specifically, I value our role as educators—it allows us to be the catalyst for those incredible 'light bulb' moments in children, making complex natural systems clear, logical, and profoundly inspiring. We aren't just teaching lessons; we're cultivating a sense of wonder that shapes their entire perspective.
Do you have a memorable outdoor school experience to share?
What stands out most is the shared journey of discovery. The truly memorable moments occur when a student poses a complex question I can't immediately answer. Instead of providing a textbook response, we get to model genuine scientific inquiry, tackling the problem together. It's in those moments—when we collaboratively connect the dots—that I witness the depth of their engagement and the uniqueness of their insight. That is the core reward of outdoor education.
When you're not overseeing programs answering emails, or developing curriculum, where might we find you?
You might find me in the woods, engaging in my personal interests, primarily mycology and deep nature listening. I value these quiet, observational experiences as they cultivate a profound awareness of the ecosystem. This pursuit often leads to true wilderness encounters—I've had the unforgettable experience of coming face-to-face with mountain lions while searching for chanterelles. It's those moments, where you feel that primal, evolutionary connection to the landscape, that deepen my understanding and respect for the natural world we teach about.
Donate if you can!
We strive to make our summer camps affordable, we want to have many field trip opportunities, and we are always trying to improve our facilities. But with rising operation costs, limited grant funding, and state budget cuts, that is not always possible. Please consider donating. General purpose donations give us the flexibility to cover scholarship costs, maintenance, wages, and more.
You can donate on our website or mail tax deductible donations to: P.O. Box 721, Klamath Falls, OR 97601.
Klamath Outdoor Science School (KOSS) is a 501(C)3 non-profit organization with a mission to inspire a deep appreciation for natural resources, community, and the arts through hands-on outdoor education.
